"Perfect Is The Enemy Of Done"How To Take Your Project To The Finish Line
- Apr 22, 2021
- 4 min read
Written by: Amy Goober, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As entrepreneurs, we are always strategizing, planning, list-making, and then doing. While there are roadblocks to getting into action in the first place, there are also obstacles to getting the job done. If you spend all of your time analyzing and researching, you may find yourself always working on your projects but never quite finishing them. I believe that Perfect is the enemy of done and have found it true for myself and countless others who do put the time in but struggle to get things completed!
Here are 5 steps to help you get your next project done!
1) Define the project.
To get things completed, you have to decide what the goal is and what needs to be included. Without finite dimensions set in place from the start, you can find yourself working away forever and never quite knowing when you are done. It’s worth the time on the front end to answer these questions:
What is my goal?
What are the necessary components?
Do I need additional help or input from someone else?
Is there a deadline for completion?
2) Set a timeframe.
Without setting parameters on your time, any project can go on forever. You discover more information, you find additional questions to answer, you get distracted by other priorities, and before you know it, you never finish what you started. Setting a timeframe also helps with accountability. Make sure you give yourself enough time, but not too much! You know what is reasonable. When you are not concrete with your own deadlines, you also know how easy it can be to lose momentum.
3) Break up your project into smaller chunks.
If your project is a big one that requires a lot of energy and stamina from you, you will probably push it off over and over again because it seems like too big of a mountain to climb! The way to overcome this obstacle is to break it up into manageable pieces. I encourage the people I coach to set their timers for three 30 minute blocks at the beginning. They know when the timer goes off, they are done for that session.
Why do I recommend this? First of all, you will be more likely to get started on a challenging goal if you know you’ll only have to work on it for 30 minutes at a time. Secondly, you’ll get going, and then by accomplishing some of it, you’ll have the confidence to tackle another part and then another. You’ll develop the momentum you need not only to get started but also to keep going to the finish line!
4) Review, Revise, Review, Revise
It’s important to have a framework for your projects to know where you are starting and when you have finished. I use this system, and I recommend it to clients I work with.
Work through each step of your project.
Review what you’ve done.
Make any necessary revisions — put the project aside for at least one day.
Review the project again.
Make any necessary revisions - proofread or double-check your corrections.
You’re done!
This is the system I’m using for writing this article! We could all spend months creating something that we think is perfect. But, what about the time we could have been spending creating other articles, content, coaching, etc.? Time is something we have to use to our full advantage, and if you find you are struggling to get your tasks completed, follow this structure, and you’ll be checking more things off your To-Do list!
5) Complete Then Celebrate!
When you’re done, you’re done. Second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking will not serve you. The best thing you can do when you complete a task or project is to celebrate! Count that as a win and shout it from the rooftops. Cross it off your To-Do list, give yourself a pat on the back, order a special treat, book a manicure or head out to the driving range for an hour. It’s critically important for you to praise yourself for your completions, to celebrate with something special, and to savor it. This tells your mind that you are done, that you know it may not be perfect, but you were able to acknowledge that it’s completed and you are ready for the next challenge! Repeat after me, Perfect is the enemy of done!
Reach out for a complimentary Action Assessment! It’s a 30-minute call where I can help you take positive forward steps on your current project or task! Find out more about Amy on her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and get into action at her website!
Amy Goober, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Amy Goober’s newest program, Drive Your Life ™, helps women put themselves back on the To-Do List and get into action. Drive Your Life ™ is a dynamic signature talk, focused small group coaching program, vibrant Facebook group, and soon-to-be-published book. Amy’s program supports women to get into the driver’s seat of their own lives using a unique 5 step process to start moving forward. With this program, women are finding success in many areas, including career, health and wellness, love relationships, parenting, friends, and activities.
Amy received her B.S. in psychology from Cornell University. She opened The Icing on the Cake, a Boston cake bakery, at 26 in 1986. She has since sold it, but it continues to be one of the top bakeries in the Boston area. Amy has helped over 600 clients in her 7 years of health and wellness coaching. Amy has moved from bakery founder to stay-at-home Mom, seasoned health coach, and now founder of Drive Your Life ™. She speaks on leadership, health and wellness, and personal motivation topics.
